1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to projectiles and more particularly pertains to a new rotating tubular projectile for being fired from a barrel of a firearm, whereby the rotation of the rotating projectile increases the stability of the projectile and the accuracy of the firearm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of projectiles is known in the prior art. More specifically, projectiles heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art that have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,275,110; 4,301,736; 5,515,787; 4,063,511; 4,829,904; and 4,016,817.
Historically, projectiles of ammunitions were fired from firearms having a barrel with a smooth bore. However, these firearms often had very poor accuracy. These projectiles would generally pitch and yaw or tumble as they traveled through the air, which results in the instability of the projectile and increased inaccuracy of the firearm.
There have been several advancements through the years to increase the stability of projectiles and to increase the accuracy of firearms. One such advancement was to rifle or cut grooves into the interior of the barrel of a firearm. The rifled barrel imparts rotation onto a projectile traveling through the barrel. The rotation of the projectile prevents it from pitching and yawing, thereby increasing the stability of the projectile and the accuracy of the firearm. Although the stability of the projectile is increased by rifling the barrel of a firearm, the projectile""s velocity is decreased due to an increase in the friction between the rifled bore and the projectile.
To reduce the increased friction between the projectile and the barrel of the rifled firearm, a sabot or plastic covering is employed that has a reduced coefficient of friction. However, the use of a sabot requires the use of a smaller projectile resulting in decreased damage to a target.
Another advancement was spiraled ribs mounted on an exterior of a projectile. The exterior ribs rotate the projectile as it travels through the barrel and through the air. However, many of these projectiles have blunt leading ends that result in increased drag of the projectile. Hollow projectiles have been employed to reduce the drag experienced by projectiles traveling through the air. However, it""s argued that these projectiles lack the stability of ribbed projectiles that rotate or spin as they travel through the air.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of ammunitions now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new rotating tubular projectile construction wherein the same can be utilized for rotating through a barrel of a firearm, thereby increasing the stability of the projectile and the accuracy of the firearm.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new rotating tubular projectile apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the projectiles mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new rotating tubular projectile which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art projectiles, either alone or in any combination thereof.
The present inventive resolves the aforementioned problems and includes a cylindrical body having an open first end and an axial passageway that extends through the open first end. Additionally, a spiraled airfoil is mounted in the axial passageway of the cylindrical body for impinging a flow of air flowing through the axial passageway. In one embodiment of the present invention the spiraled airfoil rotates the cylindrical body with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body as it travels through the barrel and away from the firearm.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the rotating tubular projectile in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new rotating tubular projectile apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the projectiles mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new rotating tubular projectile which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art projectiles, either alone or in any combination thereof.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new rotating tubular projectile that employs two features of conventional projectiles to produce a new and novel projectile. The present invention employs a tubular body for permitting air to flow through the cylindrical body thereby reducing drag and increasing the projectiles velocity. The present invention also employs an internal airfoil for impinging the airflow traveling through the cylindrical body whereby the projectile rotates as it travels through the air.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new rotating tubular projectile that can be employed in rifled and smooth-bored firearms. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a rotating tubular projection that expands upon impact creating a larger wound in the target.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.